Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications, Inc. (DCI) (NASDAQ: DISCA, NASDAQ: DISCB, NASDAQ: DISCK) an American global media and entertainment company. The company started as a single channel in 1985, The Discovery Channel. Today, DCI has global operations offering 28 network entertainment brands on more than 100 channels in more than 180 countries in 39 languages for over 1.5 billion subscribers around the globe.1 Discovery Communications is based in Silver Spring, Maryland. The company's slogan is: "The number-one nonfiction media company."2 DCI both produces original programming and acquires content from producers worldwide. This non-fiction programming is offered through DCI's 28 network entertainment brands, including Discovery Channel, Military Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Discovery Health Channel and a family of digital channels. DCI also distributes BBC America and BBC World News to cable and satellite operators in the United States. Contents hide * 1 Corporate governance o 1.1 Officers o 1.2 Ownership * 2 Divisions o 2.1 Discovery Networks U.S. o 2.2 Discovery Networks International o 2.3 Discovery Commerce o 2.4 Discovery Education o 2.5 Other interests * 3 2010 Hostage taking * 4 See also * 5 References * 6 External links edit Corporate governance Discovery Communications headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. edit Officers Judith McHale was President and Chief Executive Officer until NBC Universal executive David Zaslav took over the position on November 16, 2006. 1 In addition to Zaslav, current executives include: * Peter Liguori, Chief Operating Officer * Joe Abruzzese, President of Advertising Sales * Adria Alpert Romm, Senior Executive Vice President of Human Resources * Bruce Campbell, President of Digital Media and Corporate Development * Bill Goodwyn, President of Domestic Distribution and Enterprises * Mark Hollinger, President and CEO of Discovery Networks International * Joseph A. LaSala, Jr., Senior Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary * Brad Singer, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 2 edit Ownership Prior to September 18, 2008, DCI's ownership consisted of three shareholders: * Discovery Holding Company * Advance/Newhouse Communications3 which is affiliated with Advance Publications * John S. Hendricks, the Company's Founder and Chairman. On December 13, 2007, Discovery Holding Company announced a restructuring plan. Under the plan, the Discovery Holding's Ascent Media business would be spun off, and the remaining businesses, Discovery Communications, LLC and Advance/Newhouse Communications, would be combined into a new holding company 4. The reorganization was completed on September 17, 2008. The new Discovery Communications, Inc. is now fully public company and trades on the NASDAQ stock market. edit Divisions DCI operates its businesses in four groups: Discovery Networks U.S., Discovery Networks International, Discovery Commerce, and Discovery Education. edit Discovery Networks U.S. The company started out with just a single channel, Discovery Channel, launched in 1985. In 1991, they acquired their rival The Learning Channel. In the mid-90s, Discovery Communications started developing several new networks. The first of these to launch was Animal Planet, which was launched in cooperation with the BBC in 1996. In October 1996, four digital networks were launched: Discovery Kids Channel, Discovery Travel & Living Network, Discovery Civilization Network and Discovery Science Network.3 This was followed by the 1998 launches of Discovery Wings Channel and Discovery Health Channel. They also bought the Travel Channel in 1997, CBS Eye on People (became Discovery People) in 1998 and The Health Network (became FitTV) in 2001. Discovery Networks were early to go into high-definition television with the launch of Discovery HD Theater in 2002. With the launch of high-definition simulcasts of Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet and Science Channel in 2007, the original HD channel changed its name to HD Theater. All of the channels are in the process of being overhauled and "made over".5 The networks have evolved from being offshoots of the Discovery Channel, into separate entities with their identities. The "Discovery" moniker has gradually been dropped from channel names. For some time, some networks kept the globe in their logo to signal their affiliation to Discovery Networks, but this practice has also been gradually discontinued. Discovery Networks U.S. operates 13 channels 6. According to SEC filings, the division "also operates web sites related to its channel businesses and various other new media businesses, including a video-on-demand offering distributed by various cable operators." The division's channels include: Channel Launch Date US Households4 HD Simulcast Notes Discovery Channel 1985 100 million Yes Flagship network TLC 1980 99 million Yes Acquired by Discovery Communications in May 1991, previously known as The Learning Channel. Animal Planet 1996 97 million Yes An animal documentary channel Discovery Health Channel 1999 (2011) 76 million No To be replaced by OWN Science Channel 1999 66 million Yes Formerly Discovery Science The Hub 1996 (2010) 59 million Yes replaced Discovery Kids Military Channel 1999 57 million No Formerly Discovery Wings Investigation Discovery 1996 56 million Yes Formerly Discovery Times, Discovery Civilization, Discovery People, and CBS Eye on People Planet Green 1998 55 million Yes Formerly Discovery Home and Discovery Home and Leisure FitTV 2003 53 million No Formerly America's Health Network HD Theater 2002 32 million N/A Broadcasts in HD 24 hours per day Discovery en Español 1998 7 million No Spanish-language version of the Discovery Channel Discovery Familia 2007 3 million No edit Discovery Networks International Discovery Networks International, or Discovery international networks, offers "a portfolio of channels, led by Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, that are distributed in virtually every pay-television market in the world." The division offers over 100 separate feeds in 39 languages with "channel feeds customized according to language needs and advertising sales opportunities."7 DCI owns most channels offered by Discovery Networks International, with the exception of: * (1) the international Animal Planet channels, which are "generally 50-50 joint ventures with the BBC"8 * (2) People+Arts, which "operates in Latin America and Iberia as a 50-50 joint venture with the BBC" * (3) several channels in Japan and Canada, which "operate as joint ventures with strategically important local partners." "As with the U.S. networks division, the international networks operate web sites and other new media businesses." On January 10, 2006, the Discovery Networks International announced 9 a joint-venture with Spiegel TV and DCTF to provide global free-to-air television to more than 20 million households in Germany and neighboring countries. Discovery International Channels include 10: * Asia/Pacific: Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery Travel & Living, Discovery Home & Health, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo, Discovery HD * Europe, Middle East, and Africa: Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, DMAX, Discovery Science, Discovery World, Discovery Travel & Living, Discovery Real Time, People+Arts, Discovery Geschichte, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Historia, Discovery HD * Latin America: Discovery Channel, Discovery Kids, People+Arts, Animal Planet, Discovery Home & Health, Discovery Travel & Living, Discovery Civilization, Discovery Science, Discovery Turbo * United Kingdom and Ireland: Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, DMAX, Discovery Real Time, Discovery Shed, Discovery Knowledge, Discovery Science, Discovery Home & Health, Discovery Turbo, Discovery Travel & Living, Discovery HD, Investigation Discovery, Quest * Canada: Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery Science, Discovery Health, Discovery World HD, and Investigation Discovery (licensing agreement only) edit Discovery Commerce Discovery Commerce operates a catalog and electronic commerce business (located at shopping.discovery.com 11) offering lifestyle, health, science and education-oriented products, as well as products specifically related to programming on Discovery's networks. In addition, the e-commerce site serves as a licensing business that licenses Discovery trademarks and intellectual property to third parties for the purpose of creating and selling retail merchandise. The Discovery shopping website offers products similar to those previously sold in the Discovery Channel retail stores. Recently the Discovery Channel retail stores were closed, however, the products are still available online. edit Discovery Education Discovery Education is a division which offers "streaming educational video material into schools via the internet." Discovery Education operates unitedstreaming, a "leading educational broadband streaming service in the United States." In April 2006, Discovery Education acquired a premier assessment company, ThinkLink Learning, which is based in Nashville, Tennessee. Now called Discovery Education Assessments, the program is designed to help students improve on state standardized tests. Discovery Education also sells DVD, VHS, CD-ROM, and Multimedia kits with the same content. Other products include COSMEO -an online homework subscription help site, Discovery Health Connection, Discovery Science Connection and they recently purchased other video streaming companies. They have two free services. One is their website, Discovery School and the other is a teacher community, the Discovery Educator Network, commonly referred to as the DEN. edit Other interests On October 15, 2007, Discovery Communications completed their purchase of HowStuffWorks for US$250 million.5 The company later chose to use the name HowStuffWorks as the title of a television series on Discovery Channel. The series, which focuses on commodities,6 premiered in November 2008 and is similar in style and content to other "how it works" programs like Modern Marvels.7 On March 17, 2009, Discovery revealed that it owned the rights to several patents related to e-books, in announcing a patent infringement lawsuit against Amazon.com, maker of the Kindle e-book reading device. The patents were originally developed by the company's founder John Hendricks; the specific patent in question in the suit was applied for in 1999 but issued in late 2007.89 On April 30, 2009, it was announced that Hasbro will acquire a 50% stake in Discovery Kids (Now known as @DK). The resulting joint-venture, a new network called The Hub, will relaunch in fall 2010. Discovery will oversee ad sales and distribution, while Hasbro will be responsible for programming.1011 Discovery will launch a 3DTV channel in conjunction with Sony and IMAX in early 2011.12 edit 2010 Hostage taking Main article: Discovery Communications headquarters hostage crisis On September 1, 2010, the DCI headquarters was the site of a hostage taking, a lone gunman identified as James J. Lee took hostages inside of the Discovery Communications headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, prompting an evacuation of the building. The gunman made his manifesto on his website SaveThePlanetProtest.com with several demands. Lee was shot dead by police and the hostages were released safely.13 James J. Lee had previously been arrested in 2008 while protesting in front of the same site.